Disintegrator for cleaning gases and the like



Jan. 14, 1930. H. F. J. NOLZE 1,743,380

msnmenuon FOR CLEANING GASES AND THE LIKE Filed April 19. 1927 5 Sheefcs-Sheet 1 I TTLUeTLZOr I A4 1 VM mw\ Jan. 14, 1930. H. F. J. NOLZE DISINTEGRATOR FOR CLEANING GASES AND THE LIKE 5 Sheets-Shet 2 Filed April 19. 192'? w M WM W vy/d/i' 4% Z? Jan. 14, 1930. H. F. J. NOLZE 1,743,380

DISINTEGRATOR FOR CLEANING GASES AND THE LIKE Filed April 19. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Jan. l4, 1930. H. F. J. NOLZE 1,743,380

DISINTEGRATOR FOR CLEANING GASES AND THE LIKE Filed April 19, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 1930' H. F. J. NOLZE l DISINTEGRATOR FOR CLEANING GASES AND THE LIKE Filed April 19. 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Ffizo'erzr Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNIT-ED STATES PATENT OFFICE HEINRICH -F. ,J'. NOLZE, OF KAISERSLAUTERN, GERMANY DISINTEGRATOR FOR CLEANING GASES AND THE LIKE Application filed-April 19, 1927, Serial No. 184,977, and in Germany April 23, 1926.

My invention relates to .disintegrators for cleaning gases and the like; and has particular reference todisintegrators use-d .for the purpose of removing finely divided .solid impurities from air and other gases.

One especially useful field of application for my improved gas washer is in connection with the cleaning of gases from blast furnaces, so that such cleaned gases may be ad.- vantageously used in gas engines and for other useful purposes.

:I am aware that disintegrators have here tofore 'been used in which gas and water have been brought into intimate mixture with each other to cause the trapping in the waterof solid finely divided impurities in the gas by causing thegas and sprayed waterto be centrifugally thrown outward into a surrounding casing by the action of rotating blades constructed with apertures in which stationary disintegrator bars or sleeves were placed, so that the gas and water were violently impelled against such disintegratorb ars, thereby causing an intimate mixture of the water and gas so that the solid impurities were taken up by the water and removed from the gas.

\ The 'disintegrator bars have been so constructed that spaces are arranged between them through which thegas may pass, or, if disintegrator sleeves were employed, openings have :been provided in thesleeves.

In such prior constructions, whereas the apparatus would often perform satisfactorily to give a desired degree of cleaning for the gas, it-was'not practical to utilize a given machine for cleaning gases tovarious degrees of purity. For example, if blast furnace gases are to be used in gas engines, a very high degree of cleaning is necessary to remove the dust content to the lowest possible degree, whereas if the. gas-isto be used for burning under boilers, a much less degree of removal of the dust is entirely adequate for the purpose. I

To obtain the high degree of purification necessary, forexample, for gas toibe used in gas engines, the openings between the disintegrator barsare made very small, thus necessitating the consumption of a large amount of power in order-to drive-the gas through these openings. It is in this way that the gas is subjected to a more intimate mixture with the water and a greater amount of dust is removed from the gas.

On the other hand, in the case of the cleaning of gas for burning under boilers, much larger openings'between the disintegrator bars are satisfactory and a given amount of gas may be passed through the disintegrator with a much less power consumption.

It is the object of my invention to con struct a disintegrator so that the disintegrator bars or sleeves may be regulated in order to vary the size of the openings according to the cleaning to which it is desired to subject the gas. This result is accomplished by preferably constructing at least one of the disintegrator elements in the form of a pair of concentric sleeves provided with openings, the size of which maybe varied by rotating one of the sleeves with respect to the other sleeve.

The object of my invention is further accomplished by a bodily lateral movement of the disintegrator elements in respect to the openings in the main impeller blades.

' These and other objects of my invention will be more readily'understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation in partial sectional view of my disintegrator apparatus;

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the disintegrator apparatus in order to show particularly the actuating mechanism for move ment of the disintegrator elements Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View showing the details of mechanism by which the disintegrator elements may be bodily moved with respect to the impeller blades;

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view illustrating more clearly the con struction of the disintegrator elements and their relation to the impeller blades; 6

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 5;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing the details of certain of the mechanism for moving one of the disintegrator elements with reference to another in order to vary the size of the openings;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view showing a portion of the actuating mechanism of the disintegrator elements shown in Figure 7 and Figure 9 is an end View of the structure shown in Figure 7, parts being omitted for purposes of clarity; expressed in other language, Figure 9 is a view on an enlarged scale of part of the structure shown in Figure 3.

The disintegrator of my invention is provided with a casing 10 generally cylindrical in form and similar to the casing of the ordinary form of fan blower.

The casing 10 is provided with an outlet pipe 11 which may have therein a damper 12 to regulate the passage of gas from the disin tegrator. r

The casing 10 is also provided with lateral extensions 13, 13 with which the gas entrance pipes 14, 14'leading from the gas main 15 communicate.

Extending through the disintegrator casing is a rotatable shaft 16 which may be driven by an electrical motor or other suitable source of power (not shown). Rigidly mounted on the central portion of the shaft 16 is a hub 17 carrying thereon a partition plate 18 to which impeller blades 19 are fastened.

The outer ends of the impeller blades 19 are provided with side plates 20, thus serving to securely hold the impeller blades in proper spaced relation one tothe other.

The blades 19, side plates 20 and the parts cooperating therewith may be substantially symmetrically relative to the transverse vertical medial plane of the casing 10, and a description of the parts on one side of said plane will sufiice for a description of the parts on both sides thereof.

The side plates 20 are provided with annular openings 21 and 22, and each of the imj ller blades 19 has apertures 23 and 24 thereextending from the annular openings 21 and in the side plates to a position adjacent to the partition plate 18.

is shown in the embodiment of my invent on which is illustrated, the disintegrator crements consist of the outer apertured sleeve 25 and a pair of inner apertured sleeves 26 and 27, which sleeves, though adjustable relaiive to one another, are relatively stationary in service.

As most clearly shown in Figures 5 and 6,

the disintegrator element 25 extends into the annular aperture 21 of the side plate 20 and into and through the apertures 23 of the impeller blades 19, while the pair of sleeves 26 and 27 extend similarly through the annular aperture 22 and into the apertures 23 of the impeller blades, each of 'the disintegrator sleeves 25, 26 and 27 being provided with a series of apertures 28, 29 and 30in the respective sleeves.

As best shown in Figure 7 and Figure 8, the outer ends of the disintegrator members 25,

26 and 27 are provided with annular bearings shaft 38 preferably has'its outer end 39 rectangular in form. Non-rotatably but slidably mounted upon the portion 39 of the shaft 38 is the strap 40, which as indicated in Figure 7 is bifurcated. The numeral 41' indicates a cam member provided with the cam slot 41 adapted to slidably receive pins 41 carried by the strap 40. Said cam member 41 is rigidly mounted upon the shaft 42, which has a fixed axis of rotation. Said shaft 42 may be operated by thelever' 43. The shaft 42 is supported by the bracket 43 having the pair of arms 43*, which'slidably but rotatably support the portion 39 of the rod 38. By reason of the fact that the arms 43"43 and the strap 40 are slidably connected to the portion 39 of the shaft 38, said shaft 38 may (by mechanism to be described hereinafter) be moved to the left from the position shown in Figure7 without affecting the non-rotatable connection between said shaft 38 and the strap 40. V I

lVater is supplied to the disintegrator through the pipes 44 which terminate within the disintegrator in the peforated ends 45. The pipes 44 at their upperends are preferably provided with funnels 46 in which water is supplied from the nozzle'47, so that the supply of water may be easily observed at all times, this water supply belng controlled by the valve operating levers 48 of the pipes 49.

Rigidly attached to the hub 17 on the shaft 16 is a slotted water cage. 50, which is open at its ends.

.The supply of water to the disintegrator may be regulated by the position of the disin-, .tegrator sleeve 27 with respect to the disinte grat-or sleeve 26 through the instrumentality ofa sprocket 51 mounted on the end of the shaft 42, which is rotated by the lever 43,*an endless chain 52 engaging the sprocket 51 and passing over suitable sheaves being utilized to control the valve levers 48. a

It will thus be evident that upon movement of the operating handle 43, the shaft '38 is rotated, and b engagement of the ratchet 37 with the toot ed or ratchet portion of the bearing 33, the disintegratorsleeve 27 is rotated, so that the openings 30 may be brought into full register with the openings 29 of the disintegrator sleeve 26, thereby giving the maximum freedom of passage of the gas; or the openings may be brought opposite the solid portions in the dis-integrator sleeve 26, as shown in Figure 6, thereby providing for the most thorough .disintegrating action and gas is provided through the disintegrator, in-

asniuch as more water is then required to thoroughly remove the solid impurities from the gas.

In Figures 3 and 4, the mechanism for laterally moving the disintegrator elements is illustrated. At suitable points on the outer end of the key member within the annular chamber 34 is provided an interiorly threaded sleeve 53, which is engaged by an exteriorly spreaded spindle 54, which may be rotated by suitable pawl and ratchet mechanism actuated by a back and forth movement of a lever 55.

As the threaded spindle 54 is rotated, the

;-sleeve 53 may be moved outwardly into the bearing member 56, thereby moving the memhere 31, 32, '33 and 35 with the attached disintegrator elements to the left into the position indicated in dotted lines in Figure 4.

In order that the bodily lateral movement of the disintegrator elements may readily take place, ,a plurality of moving elements are supplied, as shown in Figure 3, these being connected .by suitable links 57 in order that they may all operate simultaneously upon actuation of the lever 55.

Having thus described the construction of my improved.disintegrator, its operation may now be readily understood.

The gas to be cleaned being introduced through the entrancepipes 14 first enters the lateral compartments 13 of the disintegrator, from which by thesuction action ofthe rotat ing impeller blades '19 the gas is brought into the central portion of the disintegrator and into contact with the water coming from the slotted ends of the pipes 44. i

This Water also falls into the slotted cage 50, from which it is centrifugally thrown on account of the rotation of the shaft 16 to which the cage is attached.

The gas mixed with the finely divided water is'then forced in a centrifugal direction by the action of the impeller blades 19 and first comes in contact with the stationary disintegrator elements 26 and 27. At, this point the gas is freed from a large amount of the entrained water, which .in turn has taken thefinely divided solid particles or dust from the gas by reason of the fact that the gas and water come in contact with the solid portions ofthe disintegrator elements 26 and 27 If a very thorough cleaning ofthe gas is desired, the disintegrator element 27 is moved 5 into the position shown in Figure 6, where the solid portions of each disintegrator element is opposite the openings of the other element. The gas freed from a large part of the water and entrained solid particles then continues to pass outwardly and comes in contact with the .disintegrator element 25, which, like the elements 26 and 27, is stationary. At this point a still further amount of water and entrained solid particles are removed from the gas which passes through the openings 28 and is further impelled outwardly by the rotating impeller blades 19, from which the gas passes into the periphery of the casing 10, and thence through the gas outlet pipe 11.

The water and entrained solid particles which are removed from the gas in the manner just described partly fall back onto the slotted cage 50, in which event the water is again thrown out centrifugally, and partly falls to the bottom of the casing of the disintegrator, from which the water and entrained impurities may be removed through a water seal in the usual and well known manner.

When the required cleanliness of the gas is not the maximum of which the apparatus is capable, the disintegrator element 27 may be rotated into desired position to make the openings 29 and 30 in the disintegrator elements 26 and 27 register with each other to the desired degree.

It so happens that a considerable amount of caked dirt collects acent to the openings through the disintegrator elements 26 and 27, and this may be readily and easily removed by the mechanical action of rotating the disintegrator element 27 If a still freer passage of gas is desired than would be provided by bringing the openings in the disintegrator elements 26 and 27 into full register with each other, the disintegrator elements may be axially moved by the mechanism illustrated in "Figures 3 and 4. In this case the passage of gas is Very free, and the water consumption and power consumption may be very considerably re duced. i 7

It willbe evident to those skilled in the art that the disintegrator of my invention has great flexibility in its operation and is useful for a variety of purposes. Many modifications may also be made in the detailed constructionof the apparatus which I have described without departing from the spiritor scope of my invention.

I claim: V

"1. In a gas cleaning apparatus, the combination of gas impelling means consisting of a rotatable shaft and a plurality of-radial- 1y disposed impeller blades mounted thereon, but spaced away from said shaft, means for introducing gas into the space between'said shaft and said impeller blades, means for in troducing water'between said-shaft and said impeller blades, said impeller blades being provided with laterally disposed apertures therein, relatively stationary 'disintegrator means extending into the apertures'of said impeller blades and having openings therethrough, and means for changing the effective size of said openings.

2. In a gas cleaning apparatus, the combination of gas impelling means consisting of a rotatable shaft and a plurality of radially disposed impeller blades mounted thereon, but spaced away from said shaft, means for introducing gas into the space between said shaft and said impeller blades, means for introducing water between said shaft and said impeller blades, said impeller blades being provided with laterally disposed apertures therein, a pair of relatively stationary disintegrator sleeves having openings therethrough and extending into the apertures of said impeller blades, and means for rotating one ofsaid disintegrator sleeves with relation to the other, whereby the effective size of the openings through said disintegrator sleeves may be changed.

3. In a gas cleaning apparatus, the combination of gas impelling means consisting of a rotatable shaft and a plurality of radially disposed impeller blades mounted thereon, but spaced away from said shaft, means for introducing gas into the space between said shaft and said impeller blades, means for introducing water between said shaft and said impeller blades, said impeller blades being provided with laterally disposed apertures therein, a pair of relatively stationary disintegrator sleeves having openings therethrough and extending into the apertures of said impeller blades, means for rotating one of said disintegrator sleeves with relationto the other, whereby the effective size of the openings through said disintegrator sleeves may be changed, and means for laterally moving said disin'tegrator sleeves with respect to sald impeller blades.

4. In a gas, cleaning apparatus, in combination, impelling means'for directing gas radially in a plurality of directions relative to a common axis, sleeve members having apertures, said sleeve members being in encircling relationship :with said'axis and interposed in the path of'movement of said gas,

said sleeve members being nested one within another, and means for circumferentially and water, and means for rotating saidcylinders relative to one another for varying the effective areas of said apertures.

6. Gas cleaning apparatus comprising, in combination, impelling means for gas, means for supplying water to said gas, disintegrating means interposed in the path of said gas and water, said disintegrating means having aperture for the passage of said gas and water, means for controlling the effective areas of said apertures, means for controlling the supply of said water, and means operative in a single movement for conjointly modifying said water control means and said area controlling means.

7 Gas cleaning apparatus comprising, in

combination, a casing, impelling means withv in said casing for impelling gas radially in a plurality of directions relative to a common axis, means for introducing gas adjacent to said common axis, means for introducing water for mixture with said gas, disintegrating means in the path of said gas and water and having openings therethrough, and unitary means for controlling the effective size of said openings and the supply of said water.

8. In gas cleaning apparatus, in combination, a casing, impelling means therein consisting of a plurality of impeller blades, radially disposed relative to'a common axis, means for rotating said blades, means for introducing gas adjacent to the axis of said impelling means, means for introducing water for mixture with said gas, disintegrating means in the path of said gas and water, said disintegrating means having openings therethrough, and unitary means for controlling the effective areas of said openings and the supply of said water.

9. In gas cleaning apparatus, in'fcombination, a rotatable element having a plurality of radially extending im eller blades, said blades being slotted para lel to the axis of said impeller blades, relatively stationary disintegrating means comprising nested sleeves disposed in said slots, said sleeves having apertures to permit the passage of gas, and means for adjusting said sleeves circumferentially relativeto one another to modify the effective area of said apertures.

10. In gas cleaning apparatus, in combination, a rotatable element having a plurality of radially extending impeller blades, said blades being slotted parallel to the axis of said impeller blades, relatively stationary disintegrating means comprising nested sleeves disposed in said slots, said sleeves having aperturesto permit the passage of'gas, and means for adjusting said sleeves relative to one another to modify the vefiecti've area of said apertures.

Signed at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, this 7th day of April, 1927.

(HEINRICH F. J. NOLZE. 

